Arrived in Hanoi

Well, it took ages, but we've finally arrived in Hanoi. I'm typing this up in the lobby of the Prince Hotel, 34 Hang Tre Str, while waiting for it to be late enough to go to sleep. It's been more than 24 hours since we last got any sleep, so we've delayed making any plans till tomorrow morning, when we're both more clear-headed.

First impression of Hanoi is friendliness, openness, but incredible chaos. The scooter drivers have to be seen to be believed, as they head towards a crossroads from all directions without slowing down, the different streams of traffic interleaving perfectly. Finally, we got the hang of crossing the road: you walk at a uniform pace, and allow the traffic around you to make the decision as to how to avoid you. It actually becomes more dangerous to hesitate or change your mind!

Anyway, the first picture is of a very old tree to the east of Hoan Kiem lake, in the middle of Hanoi. To the right of it is a war memorial, while set into the tree itself seems to be a small shrine - with incense burning. The second is a street scene, which also illustrates just how many scooters there are.